What's the Matter With Iowa?

The caucuses are anything but a Norman Rockwell exercise in small-town democracy.

By

John Fund

Updated Dec. 31, 2007 11:59 p.m. ET

The trouble with the Iowa caucuses isn't that there's anything wrong with Iowans. It's the bizarre rules of the process. Caucuses are touted as authentic neighborhood meetings where voters gather in their precincts and make democracy come alive. In truth, they are anything but.

Caucuses occur only at a fixed time at night, so that many people working odd hours can't participate. They can easily exceed two hours. There are no absentee ballots, which means the process disfranchises the sick, shut-ins and people who are out...